Eternal Father, we come to you this morning in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. We come to you having new life birthed in us by the Holy Spirit. We come to you this morning praise your name, magnifying your worth, adoring your person. Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of our God. How unsearchable are your judgments and how inscrutable are your ways. For who has completely known your mind Lord? You wondrously show your steadfast love to those who seek refuge in you; we praise your holy name this morning.

We thank you for the grace you continually pour out upon our church. We thank you for the unity we have in Christ Jesus. We thank you for the gospel community here, for the ways members sacrificially and joyfully serve each other. We thank you for the ministry of Restoration Kids, where even the little ones among us hear the good news of Jesus. We thank you for the faithful preaching of your word. We thank you for the profitable discussions at Community Group. We thank you for the opportunity to serve at Friendship Terrace. For the hallowing of your name, continue to knit our body together in love; continue to give us opportunity to not just serve each other, but to also serve those around us in the love of Christ Jesus.

We praise you for the way the gospel is going deeper and deeper in our church. We pray that would continue. Lord, we pray for M and T. Give them grace to love each other well in the gospel. Grant them wisdom and discernment as they grow their business. Use their faith in Christ to love and serve their employees. We pray for our sister A. C. Embolden her heart for the nations and use her desires to spread your gospel among the nations. Use our sister to build other members up in the gospel. And use her as a teacher to serve children helping them develop socially and intellectually. We pray for our brother Sebastien. We praise you for the faith and repentance you have given him. Grow him deeper in the gospel; continue to increase his desire to not just know theology, but to know and love you. Make him a joyful co-worker loving and serving every customer with a Christ-like attitude.

Father, this morning, we pray that you would give our church wisdom as we seek to understand how to best advance your gospel locally and globally. In the name of Jesus, we plead with you, that you would give us the resources and knowledge and favor to plant a Spanish-speaking church in Columbia Heights. We pray for Alejandro and his family. Continue to use his ministry in Venezuela to make disciple-making disciples. And give him discernment about potentially moving to Washington, DC. We also pray for 20Schemes as they seek to plant churches in Scotland. Bring them men and women desirous of making disciples among the poorest of the poor. And we pray for the gospel to go forth among the Behdini Kurds. Father, use your people to get them the gospel and to get them a Bible in their own language.

Lord God, we praise you that we are not the only church. We praise you for All Nations DC, The District Church and for Redeemer Arlington and Christ Our Shepherd. Use these churches to advance your gospel. We thank you for your brothers and sisters at Capitol Hill Baptist and Grace DC and Church of the Resurrection and National Community Church. Exalt your Son Jesus Christ in and through these local churches. We also thank you for campus ministries that seek to faithfully proclaim the gospel. Use the ministry of Blane at Chi Alpha, and Andrew at CRU to make much of Christ at American University. Use the ministry of Chi Alpha and Campus Outreach at George Washington and Georgetown to herald the gospel.

And, Father, this morning we pray not just for those who are like us, but even those who are against us. We pray for Kim Jong-Un of North Korea. Open his eyes to the light of the gospel. Give him the grace to use his power not to be served but to serve those around him. We pray for the men and women who are a part of the Taliban and ISIS. We pray that the evil they seek to accomplish would be restrained. We pray that your grace would be upon them and would save them from their sin. Forgive them Lord and use them to help humanity prosper not suffer. We pray that your love would overwhelm Abubakar Shekua and abound in the life of Omar Al-Bashir. For the hallowing of your name, grant these men repentance and faith in Christ Jesus. Radically change them and use them to advance peace, not destruction.

Father, we thank you that when we were your enemies you sent your Son Jesus to die for us. Oh, how amazed we are at your sacrificial, steadfast love for us in Christ Jesus. We praise you that Jesus rose on the third day and sent his Spirit to indwell us that we might be reconciled back to you. Help us never to lose sight of this gospel truth. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.